


Shipper's Oath

by orphan_account



Category: Homestuck
Genre: F/F, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-10-20
Updated: 2011-10-20
Packaged: 2017-10-24 19:34:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,617
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/267080
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Somepawdy needs cheering up!</p>
            </blockquote>





	Shipper's Oath

**Author's Note:**

  * For [sunbreaksdown](https://archiveofourown.org/users/sunbreaksdown/gifts).



AC: :33 < and hes such a cranky jerk all the time!!  
AC: :33 < ugh!! :((  
AC: :33 < but efurrypawdy knows my meowrail is a big sweaty loser cr33p  
AC: :33 < *ac rubs her fuzzy ch33k on ga’s leg*  
AC: :33< how about yours?  
GA: Uh Well  
GA: GA Reaches Down And Gives AC A Pat On The Head I Suppose  
GA: Our Moirallegiance Is Going As Well As Can Be Expected Considering Our Disparate Personalities  
GA: That Is To Say  
GA: Not Well At All  
GA: And I Find Myself Unable To Fight The Inexorable Slide Into Auspistice Between Her And Tavros  
AC: :33 < :(( that’s hairrible, kanaya... i’m pawrry!  
AC: :33 < i don’t mean to rub it in but you pawnt to be her _girlfuriend_ right??  
AC: :33 < that’s the second oldest shipping pawndry in the book!!  
AC: :33 < the meowrail pawspistice matespurrit reacharound!!  
AC: :33 < i’m pawrry she’s clawsing you distfuress :((  
AC: :33 < kanaya?  
AC: :33 < kanaya??  
AC: :33 < *ac gently headbutts ga in the leg!!*  
GA: Oh Sorry  
GA: Im Just Over Here Dying Of Shame  
GA: Please Dont Pay Me Any Mind  
AC: :33 < awwwwwwwww!!!!  
AC: :33 < dont purry kanaya!!  
AC: :33 < i won’t tell anypawdy  
AC: :33 < *ac puts a paw over her heart*  
AC: :33 < shippurr’s pawlemn oath  
GA: Is That A Real Thing Or Did You Make That Up Just Now  
AC: :33 < its a real thing i swhair  
GA: Well Okay I Suppose Thats Better Than The Alternative  
GA: Of You Informing Everyone Of My Highly Unfortunate And Unwelcome Mating Fondness  
GA: That Is To Say  
GA: Informing Vriska Of Same  
GA: Or By Netting Others In Your Cats Grub Rocking Device Of Implication  
GA: Thus Allowing Her To Be Informed In Turn  
GA: Ugh  
GA: Im Still All Flushed  
GA: In The Facial Region I Mean  
GA: Although The Other Meaning Is Applicable As Well  
AC: :33 < h33 h33  
GA: What  
AC: :33 < *ac prowls around ga’s ambulatory appawndages*  
AC: :33 < youre cute when youre all furlustered  
GA: What  
AC: :33 < you purrd what i said!!  
AC: :33 < or read i guess  
GA: Seeing And Comprehending Are Entirely Different Activities  
GA: ‘Cute’ Is Not A Word I Think I Would Use To Describe Myself  
GA: Are You Sure Youre Not Engaging In Some Kind Of Cruel Mockery  
GA: Perhaps Implying That Im Untrollish  
AC: :33 < id never do that!!  
AC: :33 < well  
AC: :33 < maybe with equius but only bepawse hes so stuffy  
AC: :33 < but no!  
AC: :33 < youre purreally nice kanaya  
AC: :33 < and efurrypawdy takes you for grranted!  
AC: :33 < its not purry nice of them  
AC: :33 < espawcially since you pawspistice for them all the time  
AC: :33 < you despurrve a better meowrail than dumb old vwiskers  
AC: :33 < and somepawdy to fill your furlushed pawdrant for real!!  
GA: Oh  
GA: Oh My  
GA: Goodness Me This Is All Quite Sudden  
GA: I Didnt Know You Had Such A High Opinion Of Me  
GA: This Isnt Helping My Embarrassment Situation In The Slightest  
AC: :33 < h33 h33  
AC: :33 < i told you a f33lings jam can purreally help out even if its unoffurcial!!  
GA: I  
GA: Er  
GA: I Was Under The Impression That Feelings Jams Were More Effective In Person  
GA: If You Would Like To Join Me In The Pursuit Of Discussion While Within Piles Of Various Objects  
GA: Im Sure I Could Scrape Up Some Refreshments Given The Proper Motivation  
AC: :33 < :OO  
AC: :33 < a hive jam just fur the two of us??  
AC: :33 < *ac climbs into gcs lap and purrs*  
AC: :33 < that sounds grreat!!  
GA: Then It Is A Friendly Meeting  
GA: Of Friends  
GA: We Are Friends Right  
AC: :33 < duh!! i pawldnt come over there if we purrent!!  
GA: Oh Good  
GA: I Will See You There  
GA: Or Here  
GA: Er  
AC: :33 < ill be there soon!!

 

And so, after a few hours of riding her lusus through a maze of twisty little caves, all alike in their dark winding nature, Nepeta emerges in the rain shadow of her mountains. She knows from experience that her beloved kitty doesn’t much like the dry desert, so she sends Pounce back along the passageways to their hive. The rest of the desert trek is hers to make alone. Luckily, the scorching sun is just beginning to peek through the clouds, and there aren’t many shambling undead making trails in the sand yet. Those late risers that are there are easily enough avoided, or in one or two cases dispatched by Nepeta’s deft claws. As she walks, she keeps her eye on the distant pair of towers rising from a shimmering oasis. At least she has plenty of time to think. She hopes she and Kanaya will have a good time. In fact, she can’t imagine _not_ enjoying herself: she wasn’t kidding when she said all those nice things about her friend, and even left out _tall_ , _pretty_ , _elegant_ , _maybe fashion’s not so bad if you’re wearing it_ , _maybe I could be your matespurrit, since Karkitty just thinks I’m a stupid pawtistic loser_. Well, maybe not that last one. That one’s not to be heard out loud. She knows Kanaya would never say the kinds of things Karkat does, though. Even if she thinks them she’ll keep them folded up inside just to avoid hurting her friends. Kanaya is sweet like that. Totally unsuited for anything black, her inner shipper pipes up, but as far as she’s concerned that’s just fine as long as Kanaya can find somebody to pail when the drone comes ‘round.

Nepeta gets herself thoroughly distracted thinking about Kanaya all spade-and-pail, streaked in jade, and trips over her blue paws, rolling down a long sand dune and sprawling on her back amidst tangled coat and soft grass. Grass? Her fingers curl against the verdant oasis lawn for a moment before a tall, pretty, elegant, fashionable shadow falls over her, followed by Kanaya coming into view. She’s wearing a nervous smile and some kind of green dress tied with a pink sash, but mostly Nepeta is concerned with her smile. So concerned, in fact ,that it takes her a moment or two to realize that Kanaya is offering her a hand. She takes it hastily and stands, then gives Kanaya a _strictly friendly_ hug. Even Nepeta’s strictly friendly hugs are practically osseous-endoskeleton-crunching, but Kanaya returns it with just as much vigor, laughing as her nervousness fades.

“If you would like to come in and brush all that sand off,” the jadeblood says, her tone good-natured, “I’ve made us some bacon and jelly sandwiches.  But if you’d prefer to stay out here, the undead know better by now than to cross into the oasis, so you are quite safe.”

“You made us BJs?” Nepeta’s eyes widen. “You purren’t kidding about the refureshments!” She grabs Kanaya’s hand. “C’mon, take me in, I pawnt to see your hive! I bet it’s _really_ purretty.”

“I see you engage in your feline wordplay at all times. How endearing.” Kanaya leads her down the garden path towards her hive, Nepeta’s nose tickled by all kinds of pleasant floral scents. When they enter the hive, Nepeta is immediately struck by the amount and variety of colored cloth draped on every empty surface. She’s never seen so much color, not even in her paint sets, and she’s overwhelmed for a moment by the sheer variety. Kanaya feels her wobble and guides her down onto a padded reclination dais. “Are you quite alright, dear? Did the long walk exhaust you? Do you need a drink of water?” She rests her hand on Nepeta’s forehead, then pulls off her hat, exposing messy hat-hair curls.

Nepeta bats at Kanaya’s hands as they home in on her hair. “I’m okay, don’t purry! It’s just really bright in here. I’m not used to all the... color and excitement.” And beautiful girls. A social call in a well-lit and very clean hive is about as different as she can imagine from midnight hunts in the woods; it’s almost uncomfortably intimate just to be there, surrounded by fine cloth and the smell of Kanaya everywhere. Nepeta should have thought this over harder before she suggested a visit. She catches Kanaya by the wrist and smiles at her, her cheeks tinged with olive. “How about those pawndwiches?”

“That one was a bit of a stretch, Nepeta.” Kanaya grins, showing plenty of teeth. “If you’re sure you are feeling well enough to be on your own while I fetch our food...”

“I’m not a _grub_!” Nepeta wrinkles her nose and sticks out her tongue. “You’re such a purrywart. I’m already sitting down anyway, and I won’t get hurt if I fall ovfur!”

“Very well, then. If you insist.” Kanaya pauses, her fangs dimpling her bottom lip. “...you have to relinquish your grip on me before I can leave.”

“Oh!” The olive flush on Nepeta’s cheeks darkens, and she lets go of her friend’s wrist as rapidly as she can. “Uh, sorry.”

“Not an issue that requires your concern, dear. Here, let me... share in your embarrassment.” Kanaya bends and brushes her black-painted lips on Nepeta’s cheek, then pulls back with a smile very familiar to the cat-troll: she’s seen that same wavering _did I do that right?_ expression on her moirail’s face many a time. Her heart melts with pity as Kanaya turns just in time to miss Nepeta’s goggle-eyed look of bliss. She inwardly thanks whatever forces are apparently watching over her. The shipping gods, perhaps.

It’s not long before Kanaya returns with a plate piled high with bacon and jelly sandwiches. The bread is even lightly toasted. Nepeta claps giddily, forgetting in her exertion-induced hunger that she’s meant to be nervous. Kanaya perches on the dais next to her, offering a sandwich which Nepeta takes with a sharp-toothed grin.

“So,” the oliveblood says in between chews. “We’re suppawsed to be having a feelings jam, right?” Kanaya doesn’t answer; instead, she turns her face away, hiding her mouth in bread. Nepeta gives her a few minutes to gather her thoughts (and also because she’s enjoying the sheer deliciousness of the food), but when no response issues forth after a while, she gives Kanaya a gentle prod on the arm. “Kanaya?”

“Er,” says Kanaya. This is about as unhelpful as she could get. “I.” Not much better, really. Nepeta frowns around the crust of her sandwich. “Feelings jams are... pale, correct? I ask because I trust your judgement in the arenas of, er, romance of all hues.” She doesn’t turn to face her companion.

“Yeah? I mean, there’s no rule _saying_ you can’t have a black jam or a red one or whatevpurr. But they’re usually pale, so meowrails can help each other get all their impurrtant stuff sorted. Why?” Nepeta reluctantly puts her sandwich down, instincts telling her there’s something more important than lunch going on. And if it’s what she has an inkling it might be, then the sudden pounding of her central cardiac reservoir is _entirely_ warranted.

Kanaya finally turns to face Nepeta again; it seems like she was hiding for hours. Anxiety is written all over her face. “I have never been very good with the vagaries of conversation, Nepeta, especially not with you. You seem to operate on an entirely different level from the one on which I live my own life. Coupled with the lack of nuance of text-based communication, I am uncertain if I am simply... projecting my own desires onto our earlier conversation.” She swallows. “It seemed as though you were implying you harbor some kind of... flushed affection for me.”

 _Whoops_. Nepeta’s eyes go wide again. She didn’t mean for it to happen like _this_. If it ever did, she wanted some kind of romantic setting, with flowers and dinner and a really comfy place to sit and... oh. Well then. That’s quite alright. She still can’t keep herself from blushing, though, even as a silly grin spreads over her face. “Yeah,” she says, her voice shaking the slightest bit. “Pawjecting?”

To her surprise, Kanaya’s voice trembles as well - only the tiniest of cracks in her legendary composure, but for Kanaya that’s a landslide. “You are quite an attractive young lady, with a fascinating social situation, and I had developed, though I held no hope that they would ever be realized, certain - “

Nepeta cuts off the nascent babble-fit with a kiss. Kanaya stiffens with a muffled gasp, then relaxes, her lips curving into a smile under Nepeta’s; she tastes like jelly and lipstick, and her long fingers cup Nepeta’s cheeks with the utmost tenderness. The kiss, too, seems like it lasts hours, but neither of them are out of breath when they finally part. They stare at each other for a moment or two, smiles growing by the second. “That was nice,” Nepeta whispers.

“I agree.” Kanaya’s lips brush Nepeta’s again for a moment, and Nepeta’s smile breaks into a full grin. She moves slowly, trying to judge Kanaya’s reaction, and when she receives a shy but approving nod she sprawls over her lap and plops her head down. The jadeblood strokes Nepeta’s hair, running her fingers through it, the digits skirting around her horns. Nepeta lets out a low rumble of contentment. “I must admit, this has been a far more pleasant meeting than I expected it to be. With the mood I had been in after we discussed our respective moirails, I almost thought you would find me too morose to spend time with.” She gives a rueful smile, her thumb making circles at Nepeta’s temple. “But I cheered up as soon as I saw the cloud of dust you made in the sand.”

Nepeta laughs, reaching up to tap a claw on the tip of Kanaya’s nose. “Everypawdy loves purratfalls. I _totally_ did that on purrpose.”

“Oh, certainly. Or... purrtainly.”

“ _Ugh_ , no, it doesn’t sound right when you do it!” Nepeta’s eyes suddenly flash. “...you know, efurrything’s all cleared up now.”

“What do you mean? Was the weather poor when you arrived? I don’t recall any storm clouds...” Kanaya cranes her neck, trying to get a look out the window, but Nepeta pushes her back.

“No, no,! Now your meowrallegiance or pawspistice won’t be messed up by red feelings! It’ll all work out _grreat_ , uh, as soon as you figure out if Vwiskers and Tavros need your help.” She pauses. “...I mean, uh, if you want to... be matespurrits?” She looks up hopefully, biting her bottom lip.

For once, Kanaya doesn’t hesitate. She bends and presses her lips to Nepeta’s forehead, leaving a small lipstick mark. “I certainly do. And I’m pleased that my quadrants have worked out so nicely as well. I admit I didn’t put quite that much thought into it while I was kissing you.” Her mouth twists into a teasing smirk.

“A shippurr must always consider the pawnsequences of her actions!” Nepeta extends one arm, pointing a finger into the sky. “It would be reckless to do anything else!”

Kanaya chuckles, her hands still stroking through Nepeta’s hair. “Will this be making an appearance on your wall?”

“Defurnitely! Circled a bunch of times, even!” Nepeta wiggles her eyebrows. “That means it’s a _purreally_ good ship.”

“I think I’ll be forced to throw my head covering into the arena for it as well. I find it emotionally satisfying on a number of different levels.”

“We can discuss the meowrits of the ship later! I want to kiss you again.” She holds her arms up to Kanaya, grinning. With just a little bend, their lips graze together once more, and they stay that way for a good, long time.

 


End file.
